Authorities have released new information regarding an incident in which a patient attacked a nurse, leaving her in critical condition.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) reported that the suspect, 33-year-old Stephen Eric Scantlebury, has been charged with attempted second-degree murder following the violent assault at HCA Palms West Hospital.
The attack took place on February 18 at approximately 1:20 p.m. at the hospital on Southern Boulevard. On Thursday morning, PBSO announced that a hate crime enhancement has been added to the charges, potentially increasing the severity of his sentence if convicted.
According to witness statements, Scantlebury, who was being held under the Baker Act, unexpectedly leaped onto his bed and began striking the nurse repeatedly in the face.
The assault caused extensive damage, fracturing nearly every bone in her face and putting her at significant risk of losing vision in both eyes. Due to the severity of her injuries, she was airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center Trauma Center in West Palm Beach for emergency treatment.
Multiple hospital staff members witnessed the attack and PBSO said, Scantlebury’s departure from the hospital. The incident was captured on the hospital’s camera system.
Cellphone video obtained shows Scantlebury walking outside in the middle of Southern Boulevard before being taken into custody. The witnesses, who recorded the video, described seeing several nurses running towards Scantlebury, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
HCA Florida Healthcare issued a statement expressing concern for the injured nurse and support for the hospital staff. They acknowledged the quick response of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and their cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
Witnesses noted that Scantlebury had been acting paranoid in the days leading up to the incident, blaming others for events they were not involved in. Scantlebury did not provide a statement following his arrest.
Based on the evidence collected from the investigation, PBSO said Scantlebury “did unlawfully attempt the killing of the victim, when perpetrated by intentionally beating the victim in an act imminently dangerous to the victim and evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life, although without any premeditated design to effect the death of the victim.”
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) said Stephen Eric Scantlebury, 33, faces attempted second-degree murder following a violent attack on a nurse at HCA Palms West Hospital. The arrest occurred on February 18 at the hospital on Southern Boulevard at around 1:20 p.m.
A major question remains—why was Scantlebury, a Baker Act patient, at Palms West in the first place?
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Palms West is not one of Palm Beach County’s five designated Baker Act receiving facilities.
Mark Astor, a Baker Act attorney, says that raises serious concerns.
“If he did not need medical attention, and deputies took him to that facility knowing it was not designated for psychiatric holds, we need to know why,” Astor said. “Are they saying there were no other beds in the county? That would be the first time I’ve ever heard of that.”
Palm Beach County has been grappling with a mental health crisis since the 2019 closure of the Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health.
Just last month, county commissioners approved $10 million in funding toward building a new crisis center, but experts say if the issue is bed shortages, the fix is still years away.
“Let’s give the deputies the benefit of the doubt. Let’s say there were no other beds available, and this was just the nearest place to take him,” Astor said. “Then, knowing that this was not a facility that could cope with a mentally unstable patient—he shouldn’t have been taken there.”
It’s still unclear who brought the Scantlebury to Palms West.
HCA Florida Palms West hospital released a statement earlier:
HCA Florida Palms West Hospital is not a Baker Act receiving facility and patient privacy laws prevent us from discussing specific cases. However, if a patient comes to the hospital for a medical condition (i.e. the flu, a broken bone, chest pains) and starts to exhibit signs or certain behaviors, a mental health assessment is performed to determine if the patient qualifies for a Baker Act designation.
This attack has also reignited concerns over workplace violence in hospitals—something nurses say is getting worse.
Jane Thomason, Lead Industrial Hygienist with National Nurses United, says many nurses expect to be attacked at some point in their careers.
“It’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, a lot of pressure to go into work every day,” Thomason said. “Knowing that workplace violence will happen at some point. It’s a part of the disease process for many patients.”
But in this case, was the nurse even trained to handle a Baker Act patient?
Dr. Daniel Bober, Chief of Psychiatry at Memorial Regional Healthcare in Broward County, says that could have made a difference.
“Very often, families will bring their loved ones to a hospital that may not be a Baker Act receiving facility, and they end up in the emergency department,” Bober said.
Also Read: 5 Contact Lenses Found Lodged Under Woman’s Eyelid
“And the staff there are dealing with them the same way they would deal with any patient. And if they have a severe mental illness, the staff may not be equipped or trained to deal with them, and that puts them at greater risk for being assaulted.”
At designated psychiatric facilities, Bober says nurses receive specialized training in de-escalation and work in environments built for safety—including panic buttons and controlled access areas.
“They know how to diffuse confrontation,” Bober said. “They have certain physical environments they work in. They have access to panic buttons and things like that. So they are used to dealing with violent, aggressive patients.”
